Take 60 minutes to understand the Power of the Actor Model with "Designing Reactive Systems: The Role Of Actors In Distributed Architecture". Brought to you in partnership with Lightbend.

Well, it hasn't been quite as exciting a month as it was in May and June, but there's still plenty to talk about in the Java-sphere! Let's take a look at what you should know in the Java world in order to be ready for the next big things.

Coffee Break!

What's New in Spring Framework 5? by John Thompson. Anyone who's remotely interested in Spring has had their eye on Spring 5 for a while now. Here's a breakdown of the biggest changes coming to Spring 5 from functional programming to library support to all the JDK updates.

4 Techniques for Writing Better Java, by Justin Albano. This is a great summary of four ways to keep your code clean when using covariant return types, intersectional generic types, auto-closeable classes, and final classes and methods.

Beginning to Doubt Object-Oriented Programming, by Grzegorz Ziemoński. Grzegorz, DZone's Java Zone Leader, talks about his experimentation with functional programming in the Java world. In the end, it's a great message that shows how doubt can actually lead to affirmed beliefs and the importance of trying new things before dismissing them.

Optional Anti-Patterns, by Przemyslaw Magda. Want to make sure you're using Optionals the right way? Make sure your favorite Java 8 null-checking tactic (assuming you're using Optionals, of course) doesn't fall into these traps.

Java Around the Web

Jumping From Java?

While next month's launch of Java 9 will likely see a rebound, it's interesting to note that the language took a 6 percent hit year-over-year, according to the TIOBE Index. Is Java dying? No, of course not — at least not yet (nothing lasts forever, after all) — but if you're on the fence about learning a new language, take a look at what some of the up-and-comers might be.

Java 9 Is Coming. (No, Really This Time. Probably.) Are You Ready?

It's not news that, in June, Java 9's release date was pushed back to September. But if you've got the time, it might be worthwhile to head over to OpenJDK to check out your favorite JEPs as well as the remaining bugs that need to be squashed en route to Java 9's launch.

Diving Deeper Into Java

Learn how the Actor model provides a simple but powerful way to design and implement reactive applications that can distribute work across clusters of cores and servers. Brought to you in partnership with Lightbend.